On Thursday 23rd we held a webinar on virtual selling tips and tricks. With the announcement of Kenya's first COVID-19 case in March, virtual selling became a critical sales strategy. Companies had to rethink their traditional in-person sales strategy.
In Yusudi, 12th March marked the end of our in-person activities. The following week, we were watching Youtube tutorials on how to fix various issues with Zoom. Though we are still learning and improving our virtual selling tactics, we have adjusted well to the new normal.
Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash
From our talented guest panel, here are a few tips and tricks on how to succeed in virtual selling:
1. Know how to relate with people - Salma Timamy & Be a relationship officer- Evan Munga
“Sales is about having strong relationships.”
Whatever product or solution you are selling, it will require you to relate well with your prospects. Instead of you seeing your prospect as just an end to you meeting your sales targets and receiving a commission check, treat your prospect with genuine care.
Understand the clients’ needs, listen to the clients, ask clarifying questions and show empathy to the client. It's a tough period for everyone.
Strengthen the relationship with the client by checking up on them besides the usual sales calls. Ask about their family, their work or any hobbies they have.
2. Track your time- Maria Nyaga
With prospecting and selling online it is very easy for one to get distracted. To counter this Maria suggested you track how you spend your time using a tool called Toggl.
The sales cycle has 7 main stages:
Preparation- Understand your product, understand your competitors, understand your value proposition
Prospecting and researching- Find prospects that fit your customer profile, discover their challenges
Outreach- Start your outreach and engage with prospects
Pitching - Articulate your value proposition in a personalized manner
Objection handling- Address concerns and objections
Closing- Finalize on the agreement terms, get the necessary documents signed and deliver the product/service required
Follow up- Nurture customers and their experience to ensure customer satisfaction
"Your work schedule should be split around these main stages so as to ensure you are able to bring in new prospects to the pipeline while at the same time actively following up with those in the pipeline already."
3. Have a referral system- Salma Timamy
“People trust word-of-mouth referrals from their peers.”
In fact, Toggl is going to be gaining some new users from the webinar because it has been recommended to us by someone we know and trust.
As a salesperson, a referral system is important as it helps you build a high-quality pipeline. A high-quality pipeline will help you focus your attention on prospects who fit your ideal customer profile and would be willing to make a purchase.
"The best way to start building a referral system is to deliver on the promises you make to your customers." If there's one thing customers hate is false promises.
4. Properly use the CRM- Evans Munga
A CRM is a customer relationship management software used to track and manage interactions between a company and its customers or potential customers.
“Tracking and managing the interactions with prospects and clients is critical in understanding the customers’ needs, personalizing sales conversations, and knowing how to prioritize your outreach efforts to different prospects.”
Salespeople can benefit from using the CRM effectively as it helps them:
Understand the customers’ problems and needs effectively
Increase customers satisfaction and retention as client contact is managed effectively
Improve sales visibility in identifying opportunities for upselling, cross-selling or asking for a referral.
For a notepad full of ideas and notes, you can register for our next webinar here.